Page 9 of The Perfect Game

I threw off the covers and pulled on the sweats I’d worn a few days ago over my shorts. My mom liked to keep the air conditioning on full blast when my dad was gone for work, and even in Texas, I felt the chill. “Yeah, I think so.”

“She’s kinda cute.”

Dax’s words caused me to spin toward him. I tried to school my expression into a natural mask, but from the sly smile he gave me, I knew I was in for it.

“You like her, don’t you? I mean, normally you would have said something like, ‘I sat by some random girl.’ But you know her name.”

I raised my hands and shook my head. “I—no. No, I don’t have a crush on her. I’ve talked to her, like, twice. And the only reason I knew who she was is because of Penny and Jake.”

Dax waved his finger at me, and I turned my gaze past him, lasering in on the trophies on a shelf against the wall. “You definitely like her. You only get flustered when you’re around or talk to a girl you like.”

“What are you talking about? I get flustered around every girl.” I pulled some socks from the drawer, grateful my mom had gotten to my laundry. I’d been on my last pair of clean ones the day before, and even though I was supposed to do my own, with baseball and the internship, and homework on top of that, I was barely keeping my eyes open once I got home.

Dax stood and walked over, resting his hand on the large dresser that stored my clothes. “No, not every girl. You talk to Penny like you’ve been friends forever.”

“That means nothing. I know she’s with Jake and doesn’t expect anything. Besides, she plays softball, and most of what we talk about is either that or baseball. Those are pretty safe topics in my book.” How I wished I could go back and not tell him about Serena at all. Or even start this day over.

“Come on, Ben. Just tell me. I’m like a vault. No secret is getting out of me.”

I chuckled, wishing I had some way to get out of this, or even a good example of him not keeping a secret, but he was good to his word for the most part.

I sat on the bed, slipping on my socks and shoes. As I tied the laces, I looked up at him. “Fine, I might have a little crush on her.”

“Did you stutter when you talked to her last night?”

“No, well, maybe at first. But then we were talking and things seemed to go smoothly. Until the play was over and she kind of stormed off.” I stood and pulled my baseball cap from the post on my bed. Adjusting it so it fit just above my eyes, I said, “Girls. Why do they have to be so hard to read?”

Something passed over Dax’s face, and I wondered if he’d gone through the same thing. He wasn’t the type to settle for a girlfriend, but trying to live in Jake’s former playboy shadow had to get old.

“I don’t know, man. But we should hook you two up. I think you’d make an interesting pair.”

I lightly punched his shoulder. “What do you mean, ‘interesting’? Not cute or adorable like Jake and Penny?”

Dax took a step back. “Does this look like the face of someone who would ever say cute or adorable?”

I laughed, and he continued. “No, it doesn’t. I’m just saying she seems like a spitfire, and you’re like Bashful Dwarf when it comes to women.”

“Thanks for the vote of confidence, man. That’s what every guy wants to be compared to. A dwarf.” I rolled my eyes at him, taking my Disney-character wallet from the dresser. I thought about the conversation Serena and I’d had about it the night before and smiled as I shoved it in my pocket.

Motioning with his hands up and down my body, Dax chuckled. “I don’t think anyone could mistake you for a dwarf, bean pole.”

I smacked his stomach, and the softness rippled just a bit. “No problem, Pooh Bear.”

Knowing he wouldn’t be too excited about that remark, I took off out the door and headed down the stairs.

Dax caught me at the front door and gave me a punch to the ribs. “Pooh Bear with fighting skills.”

“Where are you two off to this morning?” my mom asked, towel-drying one of her pots as she walked out of the kitchen.

“Good morning, Mrs. Clark. We’re going to wake up some of the guys and head over to the diner for some breakfast before practice later. Can I steal Ben?” He put on his charmer smile.

My mom relaxed even more. “Of course. Just make sure not to break any windows this time, got it?”

Dax and I chuckled as we opened the door and headed out to the car. Lou’s diner had been where Jake started liking Penny, mostly because they had to work together when he’d been sentenced by his dad to pay off the debt from pushing Nate through the large front window by accident. The window was fixed, and Nate’s scars were fading already. They were just lucky it hadn’t cut his eye.

“Is that really where we’re going?” I asked as Dax started up his car. It was small, but at least I didn’t hit my knees every time I got in. If only my dad could see the comfort something like this had for me. It wasn’t like Dax’s car was new, either. I just needed something that could fit my height.

“Yeah, Jake had to work this morning. Might as well get breakfast while we make fun of him. We should head to the pool or something since we have a day off from practice.”

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